Porotta, as it is usually spelt in Kerala, is the bread of the state's roadside thattukadas and hotels, eaten at any hour with beef fry, chicken curry or egg roast. It is thought to have arrived via Sri Lankan and Tamil migrant cooks and has since become a Kerala icon, so popular that its nutrition has been debated in public for years.
A good parotta has dozens of thin, flaky layers that pull apart easily, crisp at the edges and soft inside. The secret is a soft, well-rested dough, plenty of oil, and stretching the dough until it is almost transparent before pleating and coiling it. After cooking, the parottas are stacked and clapped between the palms to loosen the layers.
At a glance
| Region | Kerala |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Kerala |
| Diet | Eggetarian |
| Course | Bread |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 60 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | maida / egg / milk / oil |
Ingredients
- 3 cups maida (all-purpose flour)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- about 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp oil for the dough
- 1/2 cup oil for oiling and stretching
- ghee or oil for cooking
Method
- Mix the maida, sugar and salt. Add the egg, milk and 2 tbsp oil, then add water gradually and knead for 10 minutes into a very soft, smooth, elastic dough, softer than chapati dough.
- Coat the dough with oil, cover and rest for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours. Resting is what lets it stretch thin.
- Divide into 8 balls, coat each in oil and rest covered for another 30 minutes.
- On an oiled counter, flatten a ball and roll or press it out as thin as possible. Lift and stretch it with your hands, or toss it, until it is translucent and paper thin. Small tears are fine.
- Drizzle a little oil over the sheet. Gather it from one edge into loose pleats, like a fan, forming a long rope. Coil the rope into a spiral and tuck the end underneath. Repeat for all, and rest the coils for 10 minutes.
- Gently press each coil into a disc about 15 cm across, using your fingers rather than a rolling pin so the layers stay intact.
- Cook on a hot tawa on medium heat for 1.5-2 minutes per side, drizzling ghee or oil, until golden brown spots appear on both sides and the parotta is cooked through.
- Stack 2-3 hot parottas, and clap them firmly between your palms from the sides a few times to open up the layers. Serve hot.
Tips
- A soft dough and a long rest are non-negotiable; stiff dough tears and will not layer.
- For an egg-free version replace the egg with 2 tbsp curd and a little extra milk.
- Cooked parottas freeze well; reheat on a tawa and clap again.
Serve with
Beef fry, Kerala chicken curry, egg roast or vegetable kurma.